The group descended the mountain quickly, but before they had gone far, Lin Sheng heard shouts echoing from a distance.
He looked at Xiao Shi and the others beside him; their expressions were normal, clearly not having heard anything.
Lin Sheng thought for a moment, then led the group closer to the direction of the sound.
He focused his vision, wanting to see what was happening there, but the dense trees and abundant weeds in the mountain blocked his view, preventing him from seeing anything. However, as they got closer, the sound became clearer, and he could barely make out the voices.
He didn't continue to approach, but instead slowed his pace, walking downhill while listening.
"We are from the Hunting Beast Hall! Are you blind? How dare you attack us!!"
A rough voice filled with shock and anger rang out.
The response to him was a series of cold sneers.
"So what if you're from the Hunting Beast Hall? Brothers, charge! Don't let a single one escape."
Soon there were shouts of killing and the clanging of weapons.
Before long, screams rang out, and then the forest returned to silence.
"People from the Hunting Beast Hall!?"
Hearing the conversation from afar, Lin Sheng's expression changed slightly.
He estimated it was people from another Hunting Beast Hall team; it sounded like they had encountered trouble.
He didn't have much interest in going to help, as he wasn't clear on the other party's strength and didn't want to take risks.
Moreover, even if he wanted to go help, it was too late; it sounded like the battle was already over.
The victorious side should be those who initiated the attack. Without being completely confident in their ability to handle the hunters, how could they have dared to act so boldly?
Things were indeed as he had expected; soon, more voices came.
"Offering Yan, isn't it a bit risky for us to attack the Hunting Beast Hall people like this? This is Zhenshan Tower's territory after all. If others find out, it might be troublesome."
"Hmph, what's there to be afraid of? So what if it's Zhenshan Tower? How could a treasure like Yangping Mountain be continuously controlled by an outside force? Perhaps we would have been somewhat apprehensive before, but now Zhenshan Tower won't be jumping around for much longer..."
The speaker seemed to have some reservations at this point and didn't continue talking. Before long, the voices faded away until they completely disappeared.
Lin Sheng, who was in the distance, narrowed his eyes slightly, looking in the direction where the voices had vanished.
"Lin Team, what's wrong? Is there something over there?"
Xiao Shi noticed Lin Sheng's gaze and asked.
"It's nothing, let's hurry down the mountain."
Lin Sheng shook his head slightly without saying more.
But his heart was not as calm as his expression.
Yangping Mountain is full of exotic beasts, as well as various poisonous plants and insects; it can be said to be quite dangerous. However, besides these, other people entering the mountain are also dangerous, sometimes even more so than the exotic beasts on the mountain.
Those who can enter Yangping Mountain are all people with some strength, and they basically enter in groups of several people; lone travelers are rare.
After entering the mountain, these people either hunt exotic beasts or gather rare medicinal herbs, and they basically all gain something.
Therefore, there are many who kill and rob, and even those who specifically lie in wait, using the pretense of hunting in the mountain to specifically wait for those descending.
Although Zhenshan Tower has some restrictions in this regard, Yangping Mountain is quite large, and the people from the Hunting Beast Hall cannot always monitor these matters, so such incidents are not uncommon in Yangping Mountain.
Moreover, those who enter the mountain generally do not choose people from the Hunter's Hall as targets.
Firstly, they are all experienced old hunters with considerable strength. Secondly, the Hunting Beast Hall's base camp is at the foot of the mountain.
There was a situation before where someone attacked a Hunting Beast Hall hunter. After it was investigated, experts from Zhenshan Tower immediately took action and dealt with everyone involved in the attack. Even the forces behind them inevitably suffered heavy losses, causing quite a stir in the County Town.
Having lived two lives, Lin Sheng's mind was extremely active.
In the conversation he just heard, it seemed someone was preparing to target Zhenshan Tower.
As the foremost major power in Lin'an County, it is by no means easy to move against Zhenshan Tower. Ordinary forces would not, nor would they dare.
Unless... it was other major forces within Lin'an County.
As Lin Sheng walked, he constantly pondered in his mind. Soon, he shook his head and suppressed the thought.
"Forget it. Zhenshan Tower has a Blood Transportation Realm master holding the fort and has been entrenched in Lin'an County for many years; its power is deeply rooted. Even if someone covets Yangping Mountain and wants to do something, it won't be easy. Moreover, these are not things I should be worrying about now. Compared to these, the most important thing is to quickly improve my strength..."
The great sun set in the west, and the sky gradually darkened. Lin Sheng led the group back to Yangping Town, handed over the Horned Owl, bought some food, and then returned to his residence.
Creak, he opened the courtyard gate.
A scruffy yellow dog that was constantly scavenging by the stove immediately jumped up, let out a whimper, and quickly shrank into a corner of the courtyard, curling its body into a ball and burying its long face in its legs, only revealing two eyes that looked at the courtyard gate with some fear.
Upon seeing Lin Sheng carrying a lot of things, the fear in its eyes dissipated somewhat.
Lin Sheng was already used to the scruffy yellow dog's timidity.
Originally, it was just a stray dog he had caught casually to test the blood enhancement pill, and he planned to throw it out afterward. But upon closer thought, the courtyard was indeed a bit lonely with just him, and having another living creature wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
Moreover, his courtyard also lacked someone to guard the house, so Lin Sheng temporarily kept it. However, this wild dog was simply too timid.
Seeing the messed-up stove in the courtyard, Lin Sheng frowned, constantly thinking whether he should just throw this dog out now.
Too lazy to bother with it, Lin Sheng put down the food in his hands and carefully sensed that no one was following him.
Only then did he take out the blood enhancement pill from a hidden place in the room. Previously, due to Tian Hu and Wang Sanyang, he had some reservations, so he hadn't had time to use this blood enhancement pill. Now, however, he no longer had this concern.
With his current perception, he was definitely above Tian Hu, and far surpassed him. There was no need to worry at all about whether someone was secretly watching him.
The sky completely darkened, and Lin Sheng sat cross-legged in the courtyard.
With a flick of his wrist, the blood-red blood enhancement pill was tossed into his mouth. The pill had a strong bloody taste upon entering his mouth, seeming to amplify the original bloody smell by several times. Lin Sheng frowned slightly and swallowed it directly in one gulp.
He mobilized the vital energy and blood within his body and began to refine it.
Very quickly, in just over ten breaths, Lin Sheng felt a surging, tide-like hot current gathering in his Dantian.
He had anticipated this situation and began to use his consciousness to guide the hot current towards the hundreds of bones and joints throughout his body.
Like a line of fire, Lin Sheng only needed to guide it slightly, and the hot current flowed into his body. The vital energy and blood within him immediately became active, significantly more vigorous than before. The hot current began to be slowly absorbed by his body, merging with his own vital energy and blood.
Especially below his waist, which received most of the hot current, Lin Sheng immediately stood up, bent his legs, and assumed a strange posture.
After half an hour passed, his legs suddenly swelled by a circle, and a series of crisp bone cracking sounds, like firecrackers, continuously rang out from his body.
Lin Sheng only felt as if his leg muscles were being filled with something, even causing his body to experience slight pain from the inside out.
Soon, in an instant, the explosive cracking sounds from his bones abruptly stopped. Lin Sheng felt his internal vital energy and blood pause suddenly, and the next moment his body became much lighter, as if he had shed heavy shackles.
"I've broken through!!"
At this moment, his body was already soaked with sweat. Wiping away the sweat from his forehead haphazardly, Lin Sheng revealed a joyful smile.
Taking a step, he had finally cultivated the White Ape Leg Technique to Great Accomplishment, which also meant he had officially entered the Forging Tendons Realm.
He clenched his fists, feeling the immense changes in his body. At this moment, he had the feeling of having the Tusker Mountain Pig's essence integrated into him. One must know that currently, his integrated essence was still the Horned Owl, and apart from perception, he had no other enhancements on his body.
However, the feedback of strength within his body was very real.
"The most direct increase in strength is more than double what it was before, and speed has also greatly improved."
Lin Sheng's figure darted and moved around the courtyard. At this moment, his body was extremely light, even more so than the agility enhancement from the White Ape.
"It seems my previous prediction was correct. After integrating the Tusker Mountain Pig's essence, I can already challenge ordinary Forging Tendons Early Stage Martial Artists."
After sensing the changes in his body, Lin Sheng stopped his movements, but the smile on his face did not fade.
"Now that I've broken through to Forging Tendons Early Stage, coupled with the effect of integrating the Tusker Mountain Pig's essence, my strength will surge even more, and my physical toughness will also increase significantly. I wonder if, with the two combined, I can contend with Forging Tendons Late Stage."
He pondered this inwardly.
He wasn't sure about this point. After all, he had never seen a Forging Tendons Late Stage Martial Artist take action. Forging Tendons Late Stage was already considered genuine high-level combat power in Lin'an County.
Regardless of the force, they are honored guests. For example, people like Tian Hu hold high positions in Zhenshan Tower.
When Blood Transportation Martial Artists are not present, Martial Artists of this level are already sufficient to dominate.
But one thing was certain: his strength could completely crush ordinary Forging Tendons Early Stage Martial Artists, such as those like Wang Sanyang.
At this moment, there was still residual hot current within Lin Sheng's body; this was the medicinal property of the blood enhancement pill.
It was said that this blood enhancement pill had the effect of improving tendons and bones, but after taking one, he didn't feel anything significant.
Thinking carefully, if it could truly significantly improve tendons and bones, the price of the blood enhancement pill would probably not be only two or three hundred taels of silver.
The effect of improving tendons and bones was only a trace, and it slowly took effect over time.
Although there was no significant improvement in tendons and bones, the blood enhancement pill did play a considerable role in his Breakthrough this time.
Originally, according to his estimation, it would take about five more days for the White Ape Leg Technique to reach Great Accomplishment. Taking this one blood enhancement pill saved him five days, and the medicinal power within his body did not seem to be completely consumed yet.
There was no intention of wasting it; after all, it was several hundred taels of silver.
Lin Sheng immediately switched to integrating the Iron Yak's essence and began cultivating the Raging Bull Fist.
He planned to take advantage of the remaining medicinal power to try and push the Raging Bull Fist to Great Accomplishment as well.
It was a pity, however. Half an hour later, the medicinal power in his body was completely exhausted, and in the end, he was still unable to break through with the Raging Bull Fist.
After all, he had only obtained the subsequent cultivation method for the Raging Bull Fist two or three days ago. There was still some distance to Great Accomplishment. Even with the effect of the blood enhancement pill, pushing it to Great Accomplishment in one go was still too difficult.
"Although it's still a bit short, it's close. I estimate I'll be able to successfully break through in another two or three days."
With the enhancement of the White Ape Leg Technique's Great Accomplishment, cultivating the Raging Bull Fist in turn provided quite a bit of assistance.
He stopped cultivating, rinsed himself off in the courtyard, and then started a fire to cook.
By then, the sky had completely darkened, and it was deep into the night. The sky was a dull gray, and besides the pale moonlight, there were only a few scattered stars.
Because of the Breakthrough, Lin Sheng wasn't sleepy at all; instead, he was full of energy.
While tending the fire, he held a round black jar containing yellow wine. He wasn't very interested in alcohol, especially the strong liquors from his previous life, which he basically never drank except for necessary social occasions.
However, after coming to this world, he found the unique yellow wine to have a good taste, so he would buy some occasionally as a pastime.
Before long, waves of meat aroma drifted out from the stove. Lin Sheng started to feast heartily on the meat with the yellow wine. The meat he bought this time was mid-grade common Iron Yak meat.
In terms of taste and nourishment, it was much better than ordinary Rock Sheep meat, and of course, the price was also much higher.
With his current wealth, there was naturally no need to be frugal in this regard.
Moreover, with the progress of his cultivation, his appetite had also significantly increased compared to before. He ate an entire pot of Iron Yak meat, weighing a full seven or eight jin, almost finishing it completely.
Patting his round belly, Lin Sheng casually tossed the last piece of beef from the pot into the courtyard.
The scruffy yellow dog had already stood up at some point. Its two large eyes were staring eagerly at Lin Sheng, but it didn't dare to approach. The saliva constantly flowing from its mouth almost formed a line, wetting a small patch of the ground. It was clearly extremely tempted by the Iron Yak meat.
Seeing the beef thrown over, this time it wasn't timid. It took two quick steps, leaped up, and bit the beef that hadn't yet landed with great agility.
Following that was a series of chomping and chewing sounds.
"Now you're not scared anymore, you damn thing."
Lin Sheng cursed with a smile. He still wasn't sleepy, so he simply assumed a stance and continued cultivating the Raging Bull Fist.
After finishing a jar of yellow wine, although the alcohol content wasn't high, he felt a slight tipsiness, which made his spirits even higher.
Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh...
He swung his fists, cutting through the air and emitting low hums. His speed went from fast to slow, powerful and heavy, possessing considerable might.
In a corner of the courtyard, the scruffy yellow dog, while heartily gnawing on the Iron Yak meat, moved its body back, afraid of being affected by the other party.
Once he started practicing his fist technique, he lost track of time. One hour, two hours, three hours...
The shouts coming from the courtyard never stopped. He didn't know how many times he had practiced the Raging Bull Fist stance. Lin Sheng himself seemed to have entered a state of self-forgetfulness...
Cluck cluck cluck...
Until the sky in the distance turned a pale white, and a clear rooster crow sounded, Lin Sheng suddenly woke up. The muscles on his arms rapidly pulsed like turbulent river water. Starting from his shoulders, the muscles pushed forward, all converging on his fists.
He simultaneously punched out with both fists, and only heard a loud bang.
The bluestone in the courtyard, where he usually rested, shattered in response.
"I've broken through!!"
Lin Sheng looked at his arms, which were clearly a circle thicker than before, and his eyes were full of surprise.
He really didn't expect that the Raging Bull Fist would break through like this in just one night.
At this moment, his arms appeared somewhat grayish-white. The pores on them were large, and the skin was rough. When touched, it didn't feel like human skin, but rather like a rough stone wall.
He had observed Wang Sanyang's arms up close, and they were not much different from his current appearance.
"I originally thought it would take a few more days for the Raging Bull Fist to break through. Tsk tsk... my luck isn't bad."
A smile appeared on his face. Now, he had cultivated both the Raging Bull Fist and the White Ape Leg Technique to Great Accomplishment.
His overall strength, in the Forging Tendons Early Stage, was definitely not weak. Coupled with the essence integration enhancement effect, it was estimated that few people at this stage would be his match.